2010

Boko Haram Bomb Attack In Nigeria Kills Over 100

May 20, 2014 – San Francisco, CA – PipeLineNews.org – Boko Haram is the likely suspect in today’s horrific double car bombings in the central Nigeria city of Jos where nearly 1 million live.

It’s the largest lethal assault yet mounted by the group, though it is estimated that 2,500 have been killed so far this year in Boko Haram’s jihadist campaign to forcibly impose Shari’a upon the nation. It was only five weeks ago that the group led by Abubakar Shekau, kidnapped nearly 300 mainly Christian girls from a government school. Their fate is still undetermined.

Today’s bombing targeted a crowded market and bus terminal and has all the hallmarks of a sophisticated al-Qaeda like operation. The first explosion was followed an hour later by a second designed to inflict further mayhem as rescue workers rushed to aid the wounded.

This area of Nigeria is not unfamiliar with the organization’s tactics as Boko Haram has been active in and around that location for years.

“…Two car bombs exploded at a bustling bus terminal and market on Tuesday, killing at least 118 people… A U.S. official said the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, the Islamist terror group holding 276 schoolgirls captive. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the twin car bombs. But they bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group that abducted nearly 300 schoolgirls last month and has repeatedly targeted bus stations and other locations where large numbers of people gather in its campaign to impose Islamic law on Nigeria...” [source, Ahmed Saka and Michelle Faul, Boko Haram strikes again in Nigeria : 118 killed in two massive bombings, Cocorioko news website, Sierra Leone]

Despite the increasing violence and the fact that Boko Haram months ago threatened to bring its jihad to America, President Obama’s strongest response so far has been the now infamous hashtag campaign, which obviously hasn’t brought back the girls.

In fact the President’s weakness in dealing with foreign threats throughout his presidency has served to motivate groups like Boko Haram rather that suppress their violence. To jihadists, America’s lack of will is actually provocative; the enemy knowing that there will be no repercussions from this government regardless of the level and extent of the violence.